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Monday 4 Dec 2006

MAJOR INVESTMENT FOR PASSENGERS OVER CHRISTMAS PERIOD

Region & Route:

While most of us are enjoying the Christmas break, Network Rail engineers will be working round the clock on railway improvements throughout the North West, which will deliver long-term benefits for passengers. Network Rail Route Director Peter Strachan said: “Large scale engineering work is essential to the future of the railway, and this programme of work will help us and train operating companies to provide a more reliable service for passengers. We carry out large scale schemes over weekends and Bank Holidays because these are times when fewer people travel.” Schemes being carried out over the Christmas period include:

• Track renewals are being carried out between Deansgate and Salford Crescent. As a result no services will call at Deansgate, Manchester Oxford Road or Manchester Piccadilly from Sunday 24 December until 5am on Thursday 28 December. Services from Blackpool North, Windermere, Barrow-in-Furness, Preston, Manchester Airport and Scotland will be diverted to Manchester Victoria and will start or terminate there. Services from the south will terminate at Manchester Piccadilly.  There will also be limited services between Manchester and Salford stations and Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly. Passengers are advised to check before travel.
• Engineering work in the Birchwood, Edge Hill and Trafford Park areas is affecting services between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly from Saturday 23 December until 5am on Thursday 28 December. A rail replacement service will be in operation between Liverpool and Manchester until Wednesday and between Flixton and Manchester Piccadilly on Wednesday.
• All services between Newcastle and Carlisle will start and terminate at Hexham on Sunday 24 December due to essential maintenance work. A rail replacement service will be in operation between Carlisle and Hexham.
• Engineering work will be carried out on the West Coast Main Line between Manchester Piccadilly and Macclesfield on Sunday 24 December from 9pm. The 16:40 Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly service will be diverted from Stoke-on-Trent to Crewe where it will terminate and the 18:40 service will terminate at Birmingham New Street.
• Essential maintenance is being carried out on the Manchester Piccadilly to Chester line on Sunday 24 December. A rail replacement service will be in operation between Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Piccadilly.
• Engineering work is being carried out between Arnside and Carnforth from 10pm on Saturday 23 December until Sunday 24 December. This will affect some services between Preston and Barrow-in-Furness. Passengers should check times before travelling.
• Services between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria (via Newton-le-Willows) will be affected between Sunday 24 December and Thursday 28 December. All services will start and terminate at Eccles and a rail replacement service will be in operation between Manchester Victoria and Eccles. Normal service resumes on Thursday.
• Engineering work on the Settle and Carlisle line is affecting services from 9.35pm on Saturday 23 December until 5.45am on Tuesday 2 January. No services will operate between Appleby and Carlisle from Saturday 23 December until Wednesday 27 December. No services will run between Kirkby Stephen and Carlisle from 6am on Wednesday 27 December until Saturday 30 December. Services on Sunday 31 December will operate between Leeds and Skipton and on Monday 1 January services will operate between Skipton and Carlisle. A rail replacement service will be in operation.
• Network Rail is using the Christmas shut-down period to carry out essential maintenance work between Wigan North Western and Preston. The line will be closed from 12.01am on Christmas Day and will re-open at 5am on Wednesday 27 December.
• Essential maintenance being carried out in the Preston area will affect services from 9.45pm on Saturday 30 December until 9.45pm on Sunday 31 December. From 9.45pm on Saturday until 9.45am on Sunday all services from Blackpool and Lancaster will start and terminate at Preston. From 9.45am until 9.45pm on Sunday, there will be a reduced service through Preston and passengers are advised to check times before travelling.

  Passengers are advised to check travel details in advance by contacting National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 or www.nationalrail.co.uk